1. Field of The Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in protective guard devices for use with automotive vehicles, and more particularly, to protective guard devices which have one wall spaced from the metal wall of the vehicle and a releasable attaching element which is capable of conforming to the wall of the vehicle and magnetically attaching the device thereto.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There have been several proposed devices for protecting the side walls of vehicles, as for example, conventional passenger automotive vehicles and the like. One form of protective guard device relies on the use of permanently attached strips containing resilient members which are adapted to receive the impact of a foreign object as for example, the door of another vehicle. In this way, the door of the other vehicle is prevented from engaging the door of the vehicle having the protective strip. However, unless the protective strip is positioned at the desired height, with respect to each possible impact, then it is not effective. Moreover, and in particular, with respect to sports cars, high cost foreign vehicles and the like, these protective strips are often not employed due to the fact that they are deemed to create an unsightly appearance and detract from the desired appearance of the vehicle.
In view of the fact that certain sports vehicles and similar vehicles do not include permanently attached protective strips, there has been proposed certain removable protective guard devices for use with such vehicles. These protective guard devices are adapted for attachment to the side wall of the vehicle and also include a magnetic means so that they may be removably attached. These protective devices usually include a leather strip or a somewhat resilient strip such as a plastic strip which is attached to the vehicle and which is also provided with a magnetizing member for attachment thereto. These devices are removable, and they are also flexible for purposes of folding and storage. Nevertheless, the portion of the device which receives the impact is always in contact with the side wall of the vehicle. Thus, if a foreign object, such as a door from another vehicle, is impacted into this protective guard with any substantial degree of force, then the impact will transfer through the protective device and thereby dent or scratch the finish of the vehicle which the protective device is designed to protect. Consequently, these protective devices have not been terribly effective.
One of the principal problems with any of the door protective strips which were heretofore proposed was the fact that such protective strips were not capable of protecting the door or other portion of the vehicle side wall unless a plurality of such strips were employed. This was due to the fact that the side wall of the vehicle for which the device was to be used was curved or otherwise had a shape other than flat. Thus, even if the strips were positioned at one location, e.g. one height for example, it might not protect the side wall from impact by another vehicle door having a protruding edge at a differing height. The problem was significant in view of the fact that one could not take into consideration the shape and therefore possible impact points from doors of other vehicles. Some vehicles have an impact point higher than other vehicles when the door is opened. This problem is also compounded by the fact that the impact point may differ depending on the angle of impact. Consequently, any such protective strips which were heretofore available or proposed were not effective for their intended purposes.
There have also been certain proposed identification markers for automotive vehicles which utilize a plastic body section and a rim having a magnetizing member for removable attachment to the vehicle. These devices are typically adapted for attachment to the roof of the vehicle for purposes of identification. One such identification marker is more fully illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 217,038 to John H. Cleave.